Episode Summary Sheila Nevins, a prominent documentary filmmaker and best-selling author, discusses her experiences with her son's Tourette syndrome and speaks about the broader themes of aging, disability, and authenticity. Through personal stories and reflections, she sheds light on often misunderstood topics, emphasizing the importance of genuin…

Episode Summary In this episode, I talk with Jay Silverman, an award-winning filmmaker known for his emotionally resonant work. Jay discusses his journey into feature filmmaking, which began with "Girl on the Edge," a deeply personal film inspired by his daughter's recovery through equine therapy. His latest film, "Camera," is another heartfelt pro…

Episode Summary Noah, my ATV guide in Alaska, joins me on this episode of Wisdom Shared. Last season, we heard from Noah's mom, Melissa, who talked about her sobriety journey. In this discussion, Noah courageously shares his difficult journey with pills. He nearly died. He offers advice, hope, and solidarity to others facing similar struggles. His …

Episode Summary Sharon "Rocky" Roggio is my special guest - the producer and director of the award-winning documentary "1946: The Mistranslation that Shifted Culture." This film explores the profound impact of a mistaken biblical translation of the word "homosexual" and its consequences on culture, religion, and the LGBTQ community. Rocky shares he…

Episode Summary In this conversation with filmmaker and self-described Renaissance Man Stewart Schulman, we discuss his multifaceted career and his collaborations with John Bayless, highlighting projects like One Hand One Heart and the award-winning feature documentary Left Alone Rhapsody: The Musical Memoir of Pianist John Bayless. Schulman shares…

Episode Summary My special guest for this episode is pianist John Bayless, whose story is featured in the incredible documentary Left Alone Rhapsody: The Musical Memoir of Pianist John Bayless. In our conversation, John reflects on life before and after his stroke. Post-stroke, John's resilience shines through as he embarks on a remarkable path of …

Episode Summary In this poignant episode, Jacob Moench shares the challenges and joys of parenting his son Samuel, who has epilepsy and autism. The episode explores how Jacob and his wife support each other and prioritize time for their other children. Jacob also talks about his company, which offers genetic testing for preventative illness, and we…

Episode Summary In this episode, Lynn Greenberg and her son Jonathan, co-authors of Robby the Dyslexic Taxi and the Airport Adventure, share insights into Jon's journey with dyslexia. Emphasizing the transformative impact of education post-diagnosis, they discuss the power of creativity and the hidden gifts of neurodiversity. Jon, who views dyslexi…

Episode Summary Join me as I welcome back Amy and her daughter, Lizzie, for an insightful discussion. In this episode, we delve into Lizzie's harrowing encounter with toxic shock syndrome (TSS), exploring the severe implications and her journey to recovery. Amy shares the critical moments that led to her life-saving discovery of Lizzie's condition …

Episode Summary Join us in a touching conversation with Amy and her daughter Lizzie as they share their experiences with 18-year-old Mathew, who was diagnosed with autism. Amy discusses the challenges of raising Mathew, including how eliminating certain food dyes helped reduce his aggressive behavior. Lizzie shares insights on being an older sister…

EPISODE SUMMARY This is a replay of a previously released episode, for Blindness Awareness Month. In this episode, we meet Josh Burch, a 48-year-old man who was born with Optic Nerve Hypoplasia. Josh talks about the challenges of growing up blind and shares how he navigates a world built for sighted people with the help of technology and his guide …

EPISODE SUMMARY This is a replay of a previously released episode, for Blindness Awareness Month. Julie Burch is an accomplished author (pen name: Juliet Brilee) and stepmother to Josh, who was born blind. Now 48 years old, he lives independently with his seeing-eye dog, Lou. In this episode, Julie shares what it was like to raise a blind child. Sh…

Episode Summary In part 2 of my conversation with retired FBI Special Agent Aaron Weeter, we learn more about life as an FBI agent. Aaron explains how he got started, what it was like to work on high-profile cases like 9/11, the DC Sniper, and January 6th, and how he ultimately specialized in drug-related crimes for most of his career. It was fasci…

Episode Summary Since 1999, more than one million people have died from a drug overdose in the United States. On International Overdose Awareness Day, we reflect on these senseless preventable deaths. Today, we hear from previous Wisdom Shared guest Anne Pratt on the loss of her brother Daniel from an accidental overdose. May this powerful personal…

Episode Summary Our last episode explored addiction from the perspective of loved ones. In this episode, we are looking at the opioid crisis from the point of view of a retired FBI agent, Aaron Weeter, who spent 25 years specializing in drug-related crimes. From his frontline perspective, we learn how the opioid epidemic of the 90s spread to become…

Episode Summary In this episode, I'm joined by two special guests, harm reduction activist Julie Stampler and award-winning documentary filmmaker Jamie Boyle. We discuss the opioid epidemic through the frame of the incredible documentary Anonymous Sister, directed by Jamie Boyle, produced by Marilyn Ness, and executive produced by Julie Stampler. T…

Episode Summary Melissa Conrey shares her story of living with drug and alcohol addiction and now, sobriety. A single mom of two, she worries about her children who have been exposed to so much. She went back to school to earn her degrees and is now a registered dietician. Melissa speaks openly about her challenges and her victories. For the visual…

Episode Summary This episode features mother and daughter Bobbie and Angela Singletary. This dynamic duo shares their story, full of hardship, resilience, joy, love, and support. Bobbie, Angela, and two of Angela's kids all have achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism, as did Angela's late sister Cindy. Listen how Cindy’s life at 33 could not be saved d…

EPISODE SUMMARY Lisa Greer is a mother of five, a former executive and business owner, a convener of charitable events, and the author of Philanthropy Revolution. We discuss her childrens' diagnoses with cancer and adolescent-onset epilepsy and how that affected the whole family. Lisa explains how transparency fosters trust, something that applies …

Episode Summary In this episode, we meet Patty Braendel, a special education teacher who is an adoptive mom, a birth mom, and also a foster mom. We hear about her journey to parenthood with all its ups and downs and learn how her experiences as a parent have helped her work in special education. For the visually-minded who prefer to listen and read…

EPISODE SUMMARY Kathryn Paylor-Bent has a lot of wisdom to share and we cover a lot of ground in this conversation. We talk about her experiences as a disabled woman, wheelchair user, and the CEO of two successful businesses. She uses her disability as inspiration for her successful career as an adaptive fashion designer and as a consultant to othe…

Episode Summary: In this episode, we meet Dom Raban, a designer, software developer, and father of Issy. Issy underwent cancer treatment at age 13. While Issy is now a young adult and cancer-free, the lack of information given to Issy during her treatments prompted her father to create a child-centered app called Xploro. This amazing app was design…

Eleven-year-old Easton and his mother Jennifer are a great son-mom team. In this episode, we will hear from both and learn about support dogs, supercars, playgrounds, pregnancy, birth, and spina bifida. For the visually-minded who prefer to listen and read, watch the transcript video here: https://youtu.be/yVwx-zwqNhM FIND AND FOLLOW JENNIFER: crof…

George Estreich is an award-winning writer whose work includes poetry, memoir, and non-fiction. He is also a musician who plays with the band Mule On Fire. In addition to writing and music. George is an activist, storyteller, husband, and father to Ellie and Laura. George talks about raising his daughter, Laura, who was born with Down syndrome. And…

Video with transcript: https://youtu.be/Su9LTiwiyGQ Laura, a young woman with Down syndrome talks about her life and goals. For more information about Down syndrome, see here. FROM THIS EPISODE: DEC - Disability Equity Center WINGS Transition Program Unified Sports - Special Olympics Oregon Health & Science University George Estreich BOOK: The Shap…

EPISODE SUMMARY In this episode, we meet Josh Burch, a 48-year-old man who was born with Optic Nerve Hypoplasia. Josh talks about the challenges of growing up blind and shares how he navigates a world built for sighted people with the help of technology and his guide dog, Lou. We also hear more from Josh's stepmother, Julie Burch, and learn how the…

EPISODE SUMMARY Julie Burch is an accomplished author (pen name: Juliet Brilee) and stepmother to Josh, who was born blind. Now 48 years old, he lives independently with his seeing-eye dog, Lou. In this episode, Julie shares what it was like to raise a blind child. She introduces us to how she helped Josh spatially map his environment, and talks ab…

EPISODE SUMMARY In this episode Jillian and Audrey, mother and daughter, share their perspectives about dwarfism and offer helpful advice and wisdom along the way. They speak about topics ranging from the "sport" of dwarf-tossing to some very enlightening and evolved perspectives on disability, advocacy, decision-making, overcoming challenges, and …

EPISODE SUMMARY Jillian Curwin, an advocate for dwarfism and disability awareness, is the host of the podcast, “Always Looking Up." She was born with achondroplasia—a form of dwarfism. On the previous episode of Wisdom Shared, I spoke with her mother, Audrey. You can listen to that episode here: https://wisdom-shared.simplecast.com/episodes/audrey.…

EPISODE SUMMARY Audrey Curwin is the mother of two adult children, Jillian and Benjamin. Audrey was the Assistant Prosecutor in Gloucester County, New Jersey, supervising the domestic violence and sexual assault unit until her retirement in 2006. She was married for 23 years to Michael Curwin, and together, they were the only husband and wife team …

EPISODE SUMMARY In this 14th episode of Wisdom Shared, Dr. Carole Blueweiss shares her own wisdom in an interview by Kathy Cocks for her podcast, Knowledge for Caregivers. In the episode, Carole brings her expertise as a Doctor of Physical Therapy to offer thoughts on movement, exercise, and wellness for older patients discharged from the hospital …

EPISODE SUMMARY Dr. Blueweiss speaks with Nafiz Cekirge, a father in central New Jersey who speaks candidly about the impact that anorexia has had on his oldest daughter and on the family. There are a lot of unknowns to do with eating disorders and Nafiz helps us to understand the complexity of anorexia and the importance of listening to your insti…

FOLLOW IVANA Facebook: @mauimovementlessons LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivana-gadient-8b21a536/ CONTACT VERENA email: vera9nyc@yahoo.com RESOURCES recommended by Ivana "Wheelchairs are a HUGE conversation. It is best to create a trusted, knowledgable and openminded team that you hand pick to help you successfully seat your loved one" http…

NEUROMOVEMENT THERAPY: Anat Baniel and NeuroMovement® (ABMN®) Anat Baniel, a student of Moshe Feldenkrais, developed and evolved NeuroMovement® from 30+ years of experience with thousands of clients using practical applications of brain plasticity principles. The Anat Baniel Method® approach is founded in neuroscience and the biodynamics of the hum…

EPISODE SUMMARY JoAnne Robb is a psychotherapist from Oakland, California, who counsels adults and parents of children with Type 1 Diabetes. She is a mother of three. Her oldest and youngest have diabetes and her middle child does not, although as you'll learn through our conversation, he is still very much impacted by the disease. In this episode,…

Ariana Speyer is an experienced editor, writer, and copywriter turned Anat Baniel Method NeuroMovement® (ABMN®) practitioner. She lives in New York City with her husband Pat and their nine-year-old daughter, Calliope. In this episode, Ariana shares about life with Calliope, who has a rare genetic syndrome called Sturge Weber Syndrome, and how ABMN®…

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Dravet Syndrome (aka “severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy”) https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/types-epilepsy-syndromes/dravet-syndrome https://www.dravetfoundation.org Chronic Fatigue Recovery Program: ANS Rewire https://ansrewire.com/ Simon’s Podcast: Turning the Tables https://www.podpage.com/turning-the-tables/ …

Rosemary Bushey currently lives in New Hampshire with her husband and two daughters, Lauren 16 and Amelia 13. She is a 49-year-old runner, coach, and vegan Instagram influencer. Rosemary was born in Columbia, South America and has lived in New York for most of her life. She is currently completing a master’s degree to work as a bilingual Clinical M…

ABOUT BERIL TOKCAN After studying graphic design in Milan and visual communication in Sydney respectively, Beril Tokcan returned to her homeland Turkey in 2003 and founded her design studio in Istanbul. She came across the Anat Baniel Method® NeuroMovement (ABMNM) in 2012, while in search for a method to help her son, who was diagnosed with PVL /CP…

You can follow Dr. Jill on Twitter @drjbt Visit Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor's website http://drjilltaylor.com Dr. Jill's Ted Talk, "My Stroke of Insight" https://www.ted.com/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_my_stroke_of_insight The Harvard Brain Bank https://hbtrc.mclean.harvard.edu Fifty Trillion Molecular Geniuses Musical Composition Cecelia Chorus of NY commis…

FOR MORE INFORMATION: The 5P- Society (Cri du Chat) https://fivepminus.org/ Cri du Chat Society Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/CriDuChatSociety National Organization for Rare Disorders https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/cri-du-chat-syndrome NOTABLE QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE: You are welcome you to share the wisdom from this episode. Plea…

ABOUT PARIA HASSOURI Website: www.PariaHassouri.com Book: Found in Transition Facebook: www.facebook.com/paria.hassouri Instagram: @laparia Twitter: @pariahassouri LINKS FROM INTERVIEW https://themoth.org/storytellers/cybele-abbett Find and Follow Carole and Wisdom Shared: https://www.caroleblueweiss.com/ Subscribe to YouTube channel Follow and sen…

ABOUT MARA YALE Website: www.marayale.com Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/yalemaram Instagram: @maramyale Blog: www.marazoemia.net ABOUT REGAME-VR LAB AT NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY Research in the Rehabilitation Games and Virtual Reality Laboratory at Northeastern University focuses on the sustainable, evidence-based integration of virtual reality (VR…

About Claude Winn website: http://claudewinn.com Insta: @cwinnart Song Credits How Far I'll Go written by Auliʻi Cravalho © 2016 Walt Disney Records LINKS FROM THE INTERVIEW http://anatbanielmethod.com http://suzingreen.com http://yogalambertville.com http://theclass.com http://ramahdarom.com https://www.autismspeaks.org/verbal-behavior-therapy htt…

ABOUT ANNE PRATT Website: www.indymovevolution.com Email: anne@indymovevolution.com LINKS FROM INTERVIEW Treatment Modalities Early Intervention: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/parents/states.html Anat Baniel Method of Neuromovement: https://www.anatbanielmethod.com/ The Masgutova Neurosensorimotor Integration (MNRI) Method Set: https://masgut…